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enUEFA Europa League Review: Southampton stroll as Sampdoria are humiliatedSouthampton won comfortably, West Ham saw red in another struggle and Sampdoria were humbled in the Europa League qualifiers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-southampton-stroll-sampdoria-are-humiliated
Premier League sides Southampton and West Ham experienced mixed fortunes in the opening week of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round.
Southampton made a convincing stride towards the group stage with a convincing 3-0 win over Vitesse - Graziano Pelle and substitute Shane Long netting either side of a Dusan Tadic penalty.
West Ham appeared to be coasting to a similarly commanding home-leg victory when Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate put them 2-0 up against Astra.
But Valencia departed with an apparently serious knee injury before James Collins collected a second booking in the 59th minute to become the third West Ham player to be sent off in five Europa League qualifying games.
A rasping strike from Fernando Boldrin gave the Romanian team a vital away goal and then levelled the tie when West Ham debutant Angelo Ogbonna put through his own goal eight minutes from time.
Serie A side Sampdoria are heading for elimination after suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss against Serbian team Vojvodina.
Playing in the tournament after city rivals Genoa withdrew their UEFA license appeal regarding the shared Stadio Luigi Ferraris not being up to code, Sampdoria fell behind in their 'home' leg at Turin's Stadio Olimpico when Mirko Ivanic crashed home a fourth-minute drive.
Aleksandar Stanisavljevic struck early in the second half and Sampdoria's misery was complete when Ognjen Ozegovic rounded off a brace in stoppage time.
Javier Eraso hit a double of his own as Athletic Bilbao won 2-0 at home to Inter Baku, while AZ provided an Eredivisie success story as they overcame Basaksehir by the same scoreline.
Borussia Dortmund won their first match under Thomas Tuchel thanks to Jonas Hofmann's 14th minute strike at Wolfsberger, although their Austrian opponents pressed hard to overturn a 1-0 deficit during the second period.
Ligue 1 duo Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux were 3-0 winners away at Tirgu Mures and at home to AEK Larnaca respectively.
The game between Kukesi and Legia Warsaw was abandoned after 51 minutes with the Polish side 2-1 to the good.
Midfielder Ondrej Duda fell to the turf while celebrating the away side's second goal, having been apparently struck by an object thrown from the crowd. Around 20 minutes after the incident, UEFA's match delegate called the game off.
Rubin Kazan completed a thrilling 3-2 win at Sturm Graz, with Igor Portnyagin scoring a 61st-minute winner after the Austrian side twice came from behind.
Three second-half goals gave Rosenborg victory at Debrecen by the same margin.
Kairat Almaty, Elfsborg, Altach, Slovan Liberec, Standard Liege and Belenenses were all 2-1 winners over Aberdeen, Odd, Vitoria Guimaraes, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Zeljeznicar Sarajevo and IFK Goteborg respectively.
There were 2-0 wins at home for FK Krasnodar over Slovan Bratislava, MSK Zilina against Vorskla Poltava and Hajduk Split versus Stromsgodset.
Zorya Luhansk triumphed at Charleroi by the same scoreline and Atromitos were 3-1 winners following a lengthy trip to AIK of Sweden.
PAOK Salonika and Rabotnicki won 1-0 at home to Spartak Trnava and Trabzonspor respectively, while Dinamo Minsk did likewise at FC Zurich.
The games between Thun and Vaduz and Brondby and Omonia Nicosia finished goalless, while Apollon Limassol and FK Qabala drew 1-1 ahead of next week's second legs.news_articleThu, 30 Jul 2015 22:53:30 +0000Anonymous426046 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Review: West Ham taken all the way, Debrecen on cloud ninePremier League West Ham were taken to penalties before eventually seeing off Birkirkara in the UEFA Europa League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-west-ham-taken-all-way-debrecen-cloud-nine
West Ham needed a penalty shoot-out to see off Birkirkara and reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
The Premier League side were beaten 1-0 by the Maltese side on the night thanks to Fabrizio Miccoli's 15th-minute effort. James Tomkins was sent off for the London club just before half-time before Mauricio Mazzetti saw red in extra time for Birkirkara.
However, Birkirkara defender Nikola Vukanac lost his composure in the shoot-out as he blazed over the bar, allowing Diego Poyet to set up a tie for West Ham with Astra - who drew 0-0 with Inverness Caledonian Thistle to go through 1-0 on aggregate.
Inverness' Scottish rivals Aberdeen are through 5-2 on aggregate following a 2-2 draw with Rijeka, but Welsh side Newtown lost 3-1 (5-1 agg) at home to Copenhagen, whose fellow Danes Brondby are into the next round (1-0 on agg) despite a 0-0 draw with Beroe.
Debrecen were the biggest winners of the night as they crushed 10-man Skonto of Latvia 9-2. The Hungarian side posted their record European score to complete an 11-4 aggregate triumph with the aid of doubles from Ibrahim Sidibe and Tibor Tisza.
Their domestic foes Ferencvaros lost 2-0 (3-0 agg) to Zeljeznicar.
Slovan Bratislava progressed in emphatic fashion, beating UCD 5-1 (6-1 agg), while PAOK hammered Lokomotiv Zagreb 6-0 (7-2 agg), Hajduk Split eased to a 4-1 (6-4 agg) win over Koper, and Sporting Charleroi defeated Beitar Jerusalem 4-1 (9-2 agg).
Rosenborg were routine 3-0 (4-0 agg) winners over KR, Legia Warsaw won by the same margin in their tie with Botosani and Trabzonspor's 2-1 victory at Differdange saw the Turkish side safely through 3-1 on aggregate.
Vojvodina drew 1-1 with Spartaks to win 4-1 over two legs and set up a tie with Sampdoria, and Wolfsberger will play Borussia Dortmund after seeing off Shakhtyor 2-0 (3-0 agg).
Rauf Aliyev's goal in extra time saw Inter Baku past FH as they drew 2-2 on the night, winning 4-3 on aggregate, and Thun got the better of Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 (3-2 agg).
Omonia Nicosia's goalless stalemate with Jagiellonia Bialystok, briefly halted while home goalkeeper Constantinos Panagi replaced a lost contact lens, was enough for the Cypriots to win 1-0 on aggregate and Apollon also drew 0-0 with Trakai, winning 4-0 over two legs.
A 2-0 win at Shirak saw AIK through to the next round 4-0 on aggregate, Dinamo Minsk hammered Cherno More 4-0 (5-1 agg), Vaduz knocked out Nomme Kalju with a 2-0 (5-1 agg) triumph, Qabala overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to eliminate Cukaricki with a 2-0 win, Odd beat Shamrock Rovers 2-1 (4-1 agg) and Gothenburg progressed thanks to a 2-0 defeat of Slask Wroclaw (2-0 agg).
Zilina overcame Dacia 4-2 (6-3 agg), Kukesi won by the same scoreline on the night at Mladost Podgorica to win 4-3 on aggregate, Spartak Trnava cruised to a 3-1 (5-2 agg) success at Linfield, Rabotnicki were 2-0 (2-1 agg) winners over Jelgava, Kairat went through 4-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 to Alashkert and Stromsgodset benefited from the away goals rule after a 1-0 defeat to Mlada Boleslav levelled that tie at 2-2.news_articleThu, 23 Jul 2015 22:34:44 +0000Anonymous422613 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Review: Nervy wins for West Ham, Copenhagen and RosenborgThere were few shocks but plenty of notable efforts, as the likes of West Ham and Copenhagen won in the UEFA Europa League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-nervy-wins-west-ham-copenhagen-and-rosenborg
West Ham, Copenhagen and Rosenborg were all nervy first-leg winners in the second round of UEFA Europa League qualifying on Thursday.
Slaven Bilic was taking charge of West Ham at Upton Park for the first time in a competitive match, but he had to wait for James Tomkins' 90th-minute winner to celebrate a goal against Maltese minnows Birkirkara.
Visiting goalkeeper Justin Haber had enjoyed a fine evening, before flapping at a Mauro Zarate corner in the closing stages to allow Tomkins to nod home from close range.
Copenhagen are in a strong position heading into the second leg against Welsh side Newtown, but would perhaps have expected more than the 2-0 scoreline they produced at Parken Stadium.
Benjamin Verbic nodded home a second-minute opener, and Kasper Kusk gave the Danish side a two-goal cushion when he lashed home on the counter-attack in the 74th minute.
Rosenborg will head back to Norway with a 1-0 lead against Icelandic outfit KR, but they needed a 56th-minute penalty from Pal Andre Helland to pick up the win.
Zilina and Stromsgodset were 2-1 victors at Dacia and Mlada Boleslav, while Brondby, Mladost and Wolfsberger won 1-0 on the road at Beroe, Kukesi and Shakhtyor, while Jelgava achieved the same result at home to Rabotnicki.
AIK defeated Shirak 2-0, Kairat went one better in a 3-0 triumph at home to Alashkert and Apollon put one foot in the next round with a 4-0 rout of Trakai.
The matches between Hapoel Be'er Sheva and Thun, and Cherno More and Dinamo Minsk both finished 1-1, Skonto were held 2-2 at home to Debrecen, and Elfsborg could only draw 0-0 at Randers.
Zoran Nizic's 90th-minute goal handed Hajduk Split a lifeline as they went down 3-2 at Koper, but Beitar Jerusalem's hopes appear all but over after they suffered a 5-1 battering at Sporting Charleroi - the visitors finishing the match with nine men.
There were 1-0 home wins for Trabzonspor, Slovan Bratislava, Cukaricki and Legia Warsaw against Differdange, University College Dublin, Qabala and Botosani respectively, while Zeljeznicar and Astra won by the same scoreline away at Ferencvaros and Europa League debutants Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Fellow Scottish side Aberdeen fared better in 3-0 win at Rijeka, while Odd won 2-0 at Irish outfit Shamrock Rovers. Vaduz earned a solid 3-1 win against Nomme Kalju, while Vojvodina are well placed having beating Spartaks 3-0.
Rounding off the action, Inter Baku won 2-1 at FH, while the matches between Slask Wroclaw and IFK Gothenburg, and Jagiellonia Bialystok and Omonia Nicosia ended in 0-0 draws.news_articleThu, 16 Jul 2015 21:37:45 +0000Anonymous419250 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Preview: UCD target more glory, West Ham face Maltas BirkirkaraFollowing their famous UEFA Europa League win over F91 Dudelange, University College Dublin take on Slovan Bratislava on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-ucd-target-more-glory-west-ham-face-maltas-birkirkara
University College Dublin manager Collie O'Neill takes his side to Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round on Thursday, but is already enjoying one of the most memorable years of his life so far.
O'Neill's men only qualified for Europe via the Fair Play League, yet pulled off arguably the biggest win in their history when they defeated F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg in the last round.
Following a 1-0 win at the UCD bowl, Ryan Swan scored a crucial away goal in the 17th minute of the second leg and, despite playing with 10 men for more than an hour, the Irish outfit progressed thanks to a 2-2 aggregate draw.
But the drama did not stop there for O'Neill, who raced back from the fixture and arrived home just in time to attend the birth of his son.
"Carl O'Neill born at 5:40am, so good of my wife to hold on till I got back from Luxembourg," he tweeted at the time.
UCD are one of two Irish clubs left in the competition, with Shamrock Rovers hosting Odd in their first-leg clash, while Linfield from north of the border head to Spartak Trnava.
Premier League side West Ham will be confident of getting the better of Malta's Birkirkara, and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Aberdeen and Newtown complete the line-up of clubs from the British Isles.
Scotland's Inverness and Aberdeen face Astra Giurgiu and Rijeka respectively, while Newtown of Wales face an uphill struggle to overcome Danish giants Copenhagen.
Denmark remain well represented in the competition, with Brondby facing Beroe and Randers taking on Elfsborg.
Rosenborg and Stromsgodset join Odd in flying the flag for Norway against KR and Mlada Boleslav respectively, while AIK of Sweden are at home Armenia's Shirak and IFK Gothenburg tackle Slask Wroclaw.
In a busy round of first-leg action, Kukesi host Mladost Podgorica, Lokomotiva welcome PAOK, Zeljeznicar visit Ferencvaros, Vaduz face off against Nomme Kalju and Legia Warsaw meet Botosani.
Swiss outfit Thun are on the road at Hapoel Be'er Sheva of Israel, Dacia Chisinau are at home to Zilina, Alashkert head to Kairat and Skonto play Debrecen in Riga.
Vojvodina, Jagiellonia Bialystok, FK Jelgava, Cukaricki, Shakhtyor Soligorsgk and Trabzonspor face Spartaks Jurmala, Omonia, Rabotnicki, Gabala, Wolfsberger and Differdange 03 respectively, while Charleroi host Beitar Jerusalem and Dinamo Minsk head to Bulgaria to take on Cherno More Varna.
Elsewhere, Apollon Limassol face Trakai, Hajduk Split visit Koper and FH welcome Inter Baku.
The result for reaching the next round could be a clash with Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund or La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao.news_articleTue, 14 Jul 2015 16:47:15 +0000Anonymous418081 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Preview: Brondby and Slovan to protect handsome leadsAs many ties remain in the balance, Brondby, Slovan Bratislava and West Ham appear certain to confirm their Europa League progress.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-brondby-and-slovan-protect-handsome-leads
Brondby, Slovan Bratislava and West Ham are among the strong favourites to progress from the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round when the second legs take place this week.
The biggest win during last week's first-leg ties came when Brondby romped to a 9-0 win over San Marino's Juvenes/Dogana, with Johan Elmander and Elbasan Rashani notching braces for the Danish team.
Europa FC, hailing from Gibraltar, were beaten 6-0 by Slovan as Karol Meszaros netted a first-half hat-trick.
West Ham will hope to impress new manager Slaven Bilic by extending their 3-0 advantage over Andorra’s FC Lusitanos. Diafra Sakho helped himself to a first-leg brace.
Things are far from straightforward for the Scottish Premiership teams involved.
Aberdeen and St Johnstone drew 1-1 and lost 1-0 respectively in their away legs against Shkendija and Alashkert FC.
Sweden's AIK will hope two away goals are decisive having shared a 2-2 draw first time around with VPS Vaasa in Finland, while their goalkeeper Patrik Carlgren is out due to a knee injury sustained last time out.
Serbian giants Crvena Zvezda have their work cut out after losing 2-0 in their opening match with Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan.
Norwegian duo Odds BK and Stromsgodset are comfortable leaders having won 3-0 at FC Sherriff and 3-1 against FK Partizani respectively, while Lithuania’s FK Trakai are 3-0 leaders over HB Torshavn on their maiden European outing.
Go Ahead Eagles, relegated from the Eredivisie last season, travel to Hungary locked at 1-1 with Ferencvaros.
Airbus UK and Buducnost Podgorica are 3-1 down heading into away legs at Lokomotiva Zagreb and FK Spartaks Jurmala respectively, although the prospects are better for MSK Zilina and Debrecen - 4-1 and 3-0 to the good as seemingly thankless tasks await Glentoran and Sutjeska Niksic.
Glentoran's Belfast neighbours Linfield hold a 2-0 advantage over NSI Runavik, while there are varying prospects of success for two League of Wales sides.
Newtown AFC travel to Malta with a 2-1 lead over Valletta, who will be without suspended captain Ian Azzopardi, although Bala Town are 3-1 behind as they prepare to welcome Differdange 03 of Luxembourg.
Nomme Kalju, Jagiellonia, Slask Wroclaw, FK Cukaricki, Randers FC, FH Hafnarfjordur and Koper all take 1-0 leads back to their own patch, while Dinamo Batumi, UCD and Flora are ahead by the same margin heading into away trips.
Beroe Stara Zagora, Apollon Limassol, Rosenborg and Shakhtyor Soligorsk all scored twice in away wins to be well placed this week as FC Shirak and FK Kukesi prepare to take 2-0 leads on the road.
FC Vaduz must complete the formalities of a tie with San Marino's La Fiorita, who they lead 5-0.
FK Qabala and St Patrick’s Athletic are alive in their respective duals with Dinamo Tbilisi and Skonto Riga having netted in 2-1 losses away from home.
The ties between Ordabasy and Beitar Jerusalem; KF Laci and Inter Baku; FC Lahti and IF Elfsborg; FK Jelgava and Litex Lovech; Olimpic Sarajevo and Spartak Trnava; Sillamae Kalev and Hajduk Split; Neftchi Baku and Mladost Podgorica; FC Botosani and FC Tskhinvali; and MTK Budapest and FK Vojvodina are all square.news_articleMon, 06 Jul 2015 21:41:51 +0000Anonymous414170 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comEuropa League Review: Cloud-nine Brondby ignite opening roundMinnows Juvenes/Dogana shipped nine goals as Brondby were the runaway success story of the UEFA Europa League qualifying first round.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/europa-league-review-cloud-nine-brondby-ignite-opening-round
Brondby were the standout winners in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first leg as they thumped Juvenes/Dogana of San Marino 9-0.
Johan Elmander got the Swedish club up and running with a sixth-minute opener and his first-half brace would be matched by a double from substitute Elbasan Rashani in the second period.
Patrick Da Silva, Teemu Pukki, Frederik Holst, Johan Larsson and Rezan Corlu were also on target in a romp that only Slovan Bratislava came close to matching, with a 6-0 win at Europa FC of Gibraltar.
Karol Meszaros netted the first UEFA hat-trick of the season inside 31 minutes before Slobodan Simovic, Samuel Stefanik and Tamas Priskin added further damage for the Slovakian giants.
Premier League team West Ham eased to a 3-0 triumph over Lusitans of Andorra thanks to a brace from Diafra Sakho and a second-half header by captain James Tomkins.
Two days after winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Sweden, Patrik Carlgren hobbled out of his return to club action against VPS Vaasa with AIK due to a knee problem.
Carlgren's team-mates were grateful for a Nabil Bahoui double that salvaged a 2-2 draw after Admir Catovic and Jordan Seabrook put the Finnish outfit two goals ahead.
Norwegian teams Odds BK and Stromsgodset IF were 3-0 and 3-1 victors at FC Sheriff and at home to FK Partizani respectively, while Lithuanian club FK Trakai celebrated their European debut with a 3-0 win over HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands.
Welsh Cup winners Newtown AFC secured a last-gasp 2-1 win over Valletta thanks to Jason Oswell’s 91st minute strike. The Maltese side had captain Ian Azzopardi sent off, while their counterparts Birkirkara shared a goalless draw with Ulisses FC.
It was an underwhelming night on the road for Scottish Premiership duo St Johnstone and Aberdeen, who lost 1-0 and drew 1-1 at European debutants Alashkert FC and Shkendija respectively.
Crvena Zvezda, European champions in 1991, look set to fall at the first stage after goals from Gerard Gohou and Yermek Kuantayev gave Kazakh team Kairat Almaty a 2-0 win in Serbia.
Playing in Europe despite their relegation from the Eredivisie, Go Ahead Eagles secured a 1-1 draw at home to Ferencvaros.
There was an impressive 4-1 win for MSK Zilina at Belfast side Glentoran, whose city rivals Linfield beat NSI Runavik 2-0.
Lokomotiva Zagreb won 3-1 at Airbus UK and FK Spartaks Jurmala did the same at Buducnost Podgorica, with an identical scoreline separating hosts Differdange 03 against Bala Town of Wales, who finished the match in Luxembourg with 10 men due to Mike Hayes' red card.
Debrecen appear virtually assured of progress after overcoming Sutjeska Niksic 3-0 - a scoreline bettered by FC Vaduz in their 5-0 triumph over San Marino's La Fiorita.
Nomme Kalju, Jagiellonia, Slask Wroclaw, FK Cukaricki, Randers FC, FH Hafnarfjordur and Koper were 1-0 winners away, while Dinamo Batumi, UCD and Flora did likewise on their own patch.
Beroe Stara Zagora, Apollon Limassol, Rosenborg and Shakhtyor Soligorsk all scored twice in away wins.
FC Shirak, FK Kukesi, Dinamo Tbilisi and Skonto Riga were on target twice in home wins, although the latter two shipped an away goal to FK Qabala and St Patrick's Athletic respectively.
The ties between Ordabasy and Beitar Jerusalem; KF Laci and Inter Baku; FC Lahti and IF Elfsborg; FK Jelgava and Litex Lovech; Olimpic Sarajevo and Spartak Trnava; Sillamae Kalev and Hajduk Split; Neftchi Baku and Mladost Podgorica; FC Botosani and FC Tskhinvali; and MTK Budapest and FK Vojvodina ended all square.news_articleThu, 02 Jul 2015 23:31:54 +0000Anonymous412387 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Preview: Tommasi set to aid La Fiorita qualifying bidFormer Italy international Damiano Tommasi could make a return to action with La Fiorita in the UEFA Europa League this week.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-tommasi-set-aid-la-fiorita-qualifying-bid
The UEFA Europa League gets back under way this week, with a notable former international set to feature for San Marino's La Fiorita against Vaduz.
In total, 102 clubs will get their qualification up and running on Thursday before 15 more join the draw for the second qualifying round, and former Italy midfielder Damiano Tommasi is set to lace up his boots again for the occasion.
Tommasi's return is likely to buoy a La Fiorita side yet to score in two qualifying campaigns - the former Roma man having initially retired as a professional six years ago.
After being named in the squad list, Tommasi told UEFA's official website: "I've been missing from the international stage for so much time.
"La Fiorita gave me the chance to relive this kind of challenge. I hope to add a beautiful chapter to my footballing career."
A.C. Juvenes/Dogana also represent San Marino against former UEFA Cup semi-finalists Brondby, while the Albanian trio of Kukesi, Laci and Partizani Tirana begin at home against Torpedo-Belaz Zhodino, Inter Baku and Stromsgodset respectively.
Fair Play entrants West Ham and Go Ahead Eagles face Lusitanos and Ferencvaros, with former winners IFK Gothenburg awaiting the victors of NK Celje and Slask Wroclaw.
Alongside Go Ahead, University College Dublin are the only other second-tier side competing in the tournament - the Irish outfit are taking on F91 Dudelange, while Shamrock Rovers also await a Luxembourg-based side in Progres Niederkorn.
Cork City and St Patrick's Athletic face KR and Skonto, with Alashkert and Balzan making their European debuts against St Johnstone and Zeljeznicar.
Botosani and Spartak Tskhinvali meet in Romania for their first leg, while Saxan and Olimpic will get under way against Apollon Limassol and Spartak Trnava.
Debutants Spartaks Jurmala, Trakai and SJK must negotiate ties with Buducnost Podgorica, HB and FH.
Aberdeen will need to get past Shkendija to set up a second-round tie with Croatian side Rijeka, with Gibraltar's sole representatives Europa FC facing Slovan Bratislava.
Hajduk Split warm up for their domestic campaign with two legs against Estonian Meistriliiga runners-up Sillamae Kalev, while fellow Croatians Lokomotiva face Welsh outfit Airbus UK Broughton.
Wales are well represented - Newtown taking on Valletta and Bala Town facing Differdange - with Faroe Islands pair Runavik and Vikingur meeting Linfield and Rosenborg respectively.
Glenavon welcome Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk to Mourneview Park, Glentoran face MSK Zilina and Vikingur Reykjavik take on Koper.
Elsewhere, there are trips for Renova, Ordabasy and Shirak to Dacia Chisinau, Beitar Jerusalem and Zrinjski Mostar, while Flora and Atlantas enjoy home advantage for their first legs with Rabotnicki and Beroe.
Finnish pair Lahti and VPS face Swedish opponents Elfsborg and AIK, 13-time Moldovan champions Sheriff face Odd, while Dinamo Tbilisi and Debrecen await Gabala and Sutjeska.
Kazakhstan's hopes rest with Kairat and Aktobe, who play Red Star Belgrade and Nomme Kalju - with Serbia's Cukaricki and Vojvodina making the trips to Domzale and MTK Budapest.
Elsewhere, Dinamo Batumi face Omonia of Cyprus, Sant Julia take on Randers, while Kruoja Pakruojis, FK Jelgava and Birkirkara face Jagiellonia Bialystok, Litex Lovech and Ulisses respectively.news_articleMon, 29 Jun 2015 14:42:32 +0000Anonymous410716 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBilics West Ham reign to start at LusitansWest Ham will start their UEFA Europa League campaign with a trip to Lusitans of Andorra.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/bilics-west-ham-reign-start-lusitans
Slaven Bilic will take charge of his first competitive West Ham game against Andorran side Lusitans in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
Former Besiktas boss Bilic was confirmed as Sam Allardyce's successor earlier this month and will lead West Ham into Europe after the club secured its place via the Fair Play League.
When the draw took place in Nyon on Monday, West Ham were handed a first-leg trip to Andorra on July 2, with the return leg at Upton Park a week later.
Eredivisie side Go Ahead Eagles also secured their place via the Fair Play ranking and will face Hungarian outfit Ferencvarosi, while former UEFA Cup semi-finalists Brondby take on Juvenes-Dogana of San Marino.
The Scottish pair of Aberdeen and St Johnstone will meet Shkendija and Alashkert respectively, with the likes of Trabzonspor, Copenhagen and PAOK coming in at the second qualifying round.
First qualifying round
Vikingur Reykjavik v Koper
Newtown AFC v Valletta
Glenavon v Shakhtyor Soligorsk
Runavik v Linfield
Atlantas v Bereo 1916
Spartaks Jurmala v Buducnost Podgorica
Progres Niederkorn v Shamrock Rovers
Cork City v KR Reykjavik
University College Dublin v F91 Dudelange
Sheriff v Odds Ballklubb
Dinamo Tbilisi v Gabala
Differdange 03 v Bala Town
Brondby v Juvenes-Dogana
Debreceni v Sut Jeska
Crvena Zvezda v Kairat Almaty
Aktobe v Nomme Kalju
Go Ahead Eagles v Ferencvarosi
Domzale v Cukaricki
Kukesi v Torpedo Zhodino
Renova v Dacia Chisinau
Shkendija v Aberdeen
MTK Budapest v Vojvodina
Ordabasy Shykment v Beitar Jerusalem
Flora Tallinn v Rabotnicki
Dinamo Batumi v AC Omonia
Trakai v HB Torshavn
Glentoran v MSK Zilina
Alashkert v Saint Johnstone
Olimpic Sarajevo v Spartak Trnava
Vikingur v Rosenborg BK
Skonto v Saint Patrick's
Balzan v FK Zeljeznicar
Sant Julia v Randers
Kruoja v Jagiellonia Bialystok
KF Laci v Inter Baki
Partizani v Stromsgodset
Jelgava v Litex Lovech
Lusitans v West Ham
Seinajoen Jalkapallokerho v FH
Lahti v Elfsborg
Sillamae Kalev v Hadjuk Split
Saxan v Apollon Limassol
Shirak v Zrinjski Mostar
VPS Vaasa v AIK
Mladost Podgorica v Neftci PFK
Celje v Slask
La Fiorita v Vaduz
Birkirkara v Ulisses
Broughton v NK Lokomotiva
Botosani v Tskhinvali
Europa v Slovan Bratislavanews_articleMon, 22 Jun 2015 11:37:24 +0000Anonymous407356 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Sevilla sneak throughUEFA Europa League champions Sevilla stayed alive in this seasons competition, while Qarabag were unlucky to be eliminated on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-sevilla-sneak-through-heartbreak-qarabag
Sevilla - who beat Benfica in the final last term - left it late to secure their passage tothe knockout stages, entering matchday six with their spot in the balance.
But a 1-0 Group G win over Croatia's Rijeka did the job - Denis Suarez scoring the 20th-minute winner for Unai Emery's men.
Feyenoord, who had already qualified, thrashed Standard Liege 3-0 in the other pool match.
Azerbaijan's Qarabag - in the Europa League group stage for the first time - started Thursday second in Group F, but slipped out after a dramatic finale against Inter.
Richard Almeida thought he had sent Qarabag into the last 32 when his 93rd-minute strike was deflected in off Inter defenderIsaac Donkor.
The joyous scenes in Baku were cut short, though, with Leroy George adjudged to be offside - giving Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk a lifeline they held onto after beating Saint-Etienne 1-0 in Group F's other game.
Inter had already secured qualification and the pool win, with Dnipro now joining them in the last 32.
Ricardo Rodriguez scored twice as a 10-man Wolfsburg won 3-0 at Lille to secure their progression. The other Group H match saw Everton, already guaranteed to finish first, lose 1-0 at home to Krasnodar after fielding aweakened team.
Branimir Hrgota scored twice as Borussia Monchengladbach beat FC Zurich 3-0 to win Group A, whileVillarreal finished second after a 2-0 triumph at Apollonin Cyprus.
Two separate floodlight failures interruptedBesiktas' 1-0 win over Tottenham, a result that saw the Turkish sidefinish on top of Group C at the visitors' expense. Partizan Belgrade and Asteras Tripolisplayed out a goalless stalemate in the same pool.
Club Brugge needed an 88th-minute goal from Lior Refealov to beat HJK Helsinki 2-1 in Group B, a result that saw them top the pool. Torino also went through after thrashing FC Copenhagen 5-1.
Young Boys moved into the last 32 at the expense of Sparta Prague with a 2-0 win, while Group I winners Napoli eased past Slovan Bratislava 3-0.
Steaua Bucharest were eliminated after losing 2-0 at home to Dinamo Kiev, who won Group J. A win would have been enough for the Romanians after bottom-placed Rio Ave surprised AaB 2-0.
Celtic had already qualified but lost 4-3 against a Marko Pjaca-inspired Dinamo Zagreb. Pjaca scored a hat-trick as Dinamo moved offbottom in Group D - going ahead of Astra, who lost 5-1 to pool winners Salzburg.
Guingamp and Dinamo Minsk posted 2-1 away wins in Group K at PAOK and Fiorentina respectively. Guingamp's win was enough for them to finish second, three points behind the Serie A side.
The Group E picture was settled prior to kick off - Dinamo Moscow as winners and PSV in second. Dinamo beat the Dutch side 1-0, while alreadyeliminated Panathinaikos and Estoril drew 1-1.
Legia Warsaw made it five wins from six Group L matches with a 2-0 success against the team to join them in the last 32,Trabzonspor. Lokeren triumphed 1-0 at Metalist, leaving the losers without a point from the group stage.
The 24 sides that qualified from the 12 Europa League groups will be joined in the knockout rounds by Olympiacos, Zenit, Sporting, Athletic Bilbao,Liverpool, Anderlecht, Roma and Ajax.
Theeight sides dropped into Europe's second-tier competition after finishing third in their respective UEFA Champions League groups.
news_articleThu, 11 Dec 2014 22:54:06 +0000Anonymous303749 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comBenitez backs Hamsik to rediscover formNapoli coach Rafael Benitez wants to aid Marek Hamsiks return to form by maintaining his playing time in the side.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/benitez-backs-hamsik-rediscover-form
Despite being a key figure for the Serie A club in recent seasons - helping Napoli to the Coppa Italia last term - Hamsik's form has dropped off somewhat in this campaign.
The Slovakia international was reported to be close to leaving the Stadio San Paolo during the close-season and remains the subject of rumours after a difficult start to 2014-15for the midfielder.
Hamsik facesformer club Slovan Bratislava on Thursday with Napoli already qualified for the UEFA Europa League knockout stages, although a draw could be enough to win the group.
Benitez confirmed the 27-year-old will start the game in Bratislava as he bids to rediscover his form.
"I have full confidence in Marek and I am certain that he will return to his fullpotential," Benitez said.
"As for me, my choice is always to trust people on the pitchand I can tell you that tomorrow the team will be Hamsik and 10 others.
"AgainstSlovan we will give ourbest, as long asweplayshoulder to shoulder,we can go a long way."
Thanks to Napoli's strong head-to-head record againstSparta Prague and Young Boys, the Italianswillprogress topwith a victoryor a draw if the other game is a stalemate.
The former Liverpool boss feels Napoli will have a greater chance of threatening the latter stages of the tournament by finishing top of Group I.
"The goal now is to win the first place in the group, then we will look forward. We want to give ourbest in Europe," he explained.
"I have said many times that the next gameis always the one that matters most. We are focused tolook for success and first place that could be very useful in the draw.
"Meanwhile, we will give our allto continue in Europebecause it is a journey that we want to continue to the end."
news_articleWed, 10 Dec 2014 15:06:17 +0000Anonymous303024 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Feyenoord go throughA superb Karim El Ahmadi strike ensured Feyenoords progress in the UEFA Europa League and left holders Sevilla with work to do.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-feyenoord-and-everton-qualify-style
Jens Toornstra handed the Dutch side a 56th-minute lead in their Group G clash and the hosts soaked up waves of pressure before El Ahmadi's dipping long-range effort sealed a 2-0 win.
HNK Rijeka triumphed by the same scorelineto eliminate Standard Liege, meaning Sevillamust avoid defeat in their final round-robin match against the Croatian team to progress.
Everton's Belgium international duo Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas netted on the counter-attack to overturn a largely impressive Wolfsburg 2-0 at the Volkswagen Arena and seal top spot in Group H.
Lille drew 1-1 with bottom side Krasnodar, and Wolfsburg will join Everton in the round of 32 if they can avoid defeat tothe Ligue 1 outfit next time out.
Progress was not so emphatic for another of the tournament's fancied teams, Napoli, but a goalless draw at Sparta Prague did the job in Group I.
The top two are level on 10 points but a brace from Yuya Kubo ensured Young Boys Bern beat Slovan Bratislava 3-1 to move to nine, setting up a final week shootout against Sparta.
Inter made returning coach Roberto Mancini sweat for a 50th birthday win as they came from a goal down to beat Dnipro 2-1 and nail down firstplacein Group F.
The visitors moved ahead through Ruslan Rotan and Yevhen Konoplyanka missed a penalty two minutes before Zdravko Kuzmanovic's equaliser.
Inter skipper Andrea Ranocchia was sent off early in the second half but Pablo Daniel Osvaldo netted a 50th-minute winner for the Serie A team.
A 1-1 draw between St Etienne and Qarabag means the three remaining sides are in contention to qualify alongside Inter.
Dinamo Moscow and Fiorentina were already through from Groups E and K respectively and continued their fine form with2-1 wins over Panathinakos and Guingamp.
A double inside the last eight minutes by Stefanos Athanasiadis gave PAOK a 2-0 win at Dinamo Minsk and means they will face Guingamp locked together on seven points apiece chasing the spot behind Fiorentina.
Elsewhere in Group E, inclement weather remarkably brought an early end to the game between Estoril and PSV in Portugal with the hosts 3-2 ahead at the interval. That match will resume on Friday.
Besiktas will host Tottenham Hotspur with both teams having qualified from Group C.
First place is still up for grabs after Tottenham beat Partizan1-0 on a bizarre night at White Hart Lane where three first-half pitch invaders forced the teams to leave the field. Benjamin Stambouli got the winner after the action resumed.
Besiktas must beat Tottenham to take top spot having let a two-goal lead slip in a2-2 draw at Asteras.
Borussia Monchengladbach shared the same scoreline with Villarreal in Group A - Granit Xhaka's equaliser for the Bundesliga team standing as the highlight of a pulsating contest.
Borussia retain a one-point lead over their latest opponents, although FC Zurich remain in the hunt thanks to a 3-1 win against Apollon.
Alan's early brace set Group D winners Salzburg on their way to a 3-1 triumph at Celtic, although their opponents will join them in the last 32 after Dinamo Zagreb lost 1-0 to Astra.
Thomas Enevoldsen scored the only goal as Aalborg overcame Steaua Bucharest to go two points ahead of their Romanian visitors in the second Group J qualifying spot.
Steaua face group Dinamo Kiev in their closing game - Jeremain Lens and substitute Miguel Veloso having sent the Ukranian giants through with a routine 2-0 home win against Rio Ave.
It was a night to remember for Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, who made a record-breaking 582nd appearance for the club.
Trabzonspor joined Legia Warsaw in progressing from Group L by beating Metalist Kharkiv 3-1.
That result meant an end to Lokeren's involvement, despite Hans Vanaken's early strike sealing a 1-0 win that saw the Belgian outfit end Legia's 100 per cent record.
A dramatic winner deep into stoppage time from MacoumbaKandji gave HJK Helsinki a 2-1 win over Copenhagen to keep Group B wide open.
The Finnish team will nowtravel to leaders Brugge, who are three points better off thanks to a stunning individual performance by goalkeeper Matthew Ryan in agoalless draw against second-placed Torino.
news_articleThu, 27 Nov 2014 22:58:12 +0000Anonymous295110 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League: Inter, Celtic seek home winsBoth Celtic and Inter head into Thursdays UEFA Europa League ties knowing victories on home soil will see them advance to the last 32.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-preview-celtic-and-inter-seek-home-wins-advance
The two sides contested the 1967 European Cup final, but these days they must contend themselves with European football's secondary club competition for a chance of continental glory.
Celtic were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League at the play-off stage by Maribor, but have mounted a solid group-phasecampaign and currently stand on the brink of qualification for the second round.
Ronny Deila's men face Group D leaders Red Bull Salzburg - who have already qualified -at Celtic Park, where a win will see them leapfrog their opponents and secure their own progress.
"Salzburg are a very good team so it will be a very big game at home, and hopefully we can get as many people in the stadium as we can," said Celtic defender Jason Denayer.
"It would be great for it to be full.It makes a difference to the other team as well as when you have that kind of atmosphere in the ground, it can be difficult to play well."
The other game in the group sees Dinamo Zagreb travel to Astra, who are already out.
In Group F, Inter top the table with eight points from their four matches, while the other three sides are all locked on four apiece, and Juan Jesus wants to finish the job in order to avoid any unnecessarynerves on matchday six.
"Thursday,it will bea tough match,we have to winsowe aremore relaxedin thepool," he said.
Victory against Dnipro at San Sirowill see Roberto Mancini's men qualify as group winners, regardless of the result between Saint-Etienne and Qarabag in France.
Dinamo Moscow are one of just two sides to boast a 100 per cent record after four games, with the Russian outfit looking to extend their winning streakat home to Panathinaikosin Group E.
Awin or a drawfor PSV at Estoril will see Phillip Cocu's men join Moscow in the last 32.
The other side with a perfect record are Legia Warsaw, who travel to Lokeren in Group L. In the other game, a win for Trabzonsporat home to Metalist will assure the Turkish side of a safe passage.
Fiorentina are already through from Group K and Vincenzo Montella's men visit Guingamp, who will qualify if they better the result of PAOK at Dinamo Minsk.
Tottenham boast the tournament's joint top scorer in Harry Kane, who has five goals to his name, and Mauricio Pochettino will hope the 21-year-old can find the target again as they go in search of the win they need to progressat home to Partizan.
Elsewhere in Group C, Besiktas visit Asteras Tripolis,while in Group J, AaBhost Steaua Bucharest and Dynamo Kiev welcome Rio Ave.
In Group H, victory for Everton at Wolfsburgwill see them qualify as group winners, while Lille and Krasnodarwill vie to keep themselves in contention when they meet in Russia.
The top two in Group G clash when reigning championsSevilla visit Feyenoord, while Rijeka take on Standard Liege. In Group I, Sparta Prague take on Napoli and will secure qualification if they better Young Boys' result at Slovan Bratislava.
Borussia Monchengladbachof Group A take on Villarreal in Spain, with Zurich hosting Apollon and in Group B Torino host Club Bruggeand Copenhagen visit HJK.
news_articleTue, 25 Nov 2014 17:17:53 +0000Anonymous293642 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Quartet go throughDinamo Moscow, Fiorentina, Legia Warsaw and Salzburg became the first teams to reach the UEFA Europa Leagues knockout phase on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-quartet-reach-knockout-phase
Several other clubs, includingBorussia Monchengladbach,Everton, Sevilla andTottenham,also won to leave themselves in commanding positions with two games to play.
Kevin Kuranyi came off the bench to score Dinamo'sonly goal against Estoril, maintaining the Russian club's 100 per cent record in Group E and putting them nine points clear of their third-placed opponents.
Estoril find themselves four points behind PSV, who twice came from behind to win 3-2 at Panathinaikos thanks to goals from Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Metalist Kharkiv remain rooted to the bottom of Group L after a fourth successive defeat, but they at least had something to cheer in Warsaw whenVasyl Kobin's sublime overheadkick gave them the lead.
However,hosts Legia hit back to win 2-1 and seal their last-32 spot by keeping up their perfect record.
Trabzonspor drew 1-1 at Lokeren and remain three points above the Belgiansin the battle for Group L's runners-up spot.
And asuperb, last-gasp Manuel Pasqual free-kickdenied PAOK victory in Florence and propelled Fiorentina through from Group K.
Salzburg cruised through from Group D with a 5-1 success at Dinamo Zagreb, with Jonathan Soriano's hat-trick including a majestic chip.Celtic are close to joining Salzburg in the last 32, as they claimed a1-1 draw at Astra Giurgiu.
Lior Refaelov'strebleinspiredClub Brugge to a surprising 4-0 triumph atCopenhagen in Group B, whileHJK upset Torino 2-1 in Helsinki in that pool'sother game.
Napoli's Jonathan de Guzman also notched a hat-trick as Rafael Benitez's mensunk Young Boys 3-0 in Group I.
The Serie A club remain joint top of the poolwith Sparta Prague, who thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0, with Young Boys three points back in third.
Everton moved to the cusp of qualification for the last 32 with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Lille in Group H, while Wolfsburg remain a point behind the Premier League outfit at the top of the pool after hammering Krasnodar 5-1.
Besiktas and Tottenham both recorded 2-1 victories -at home to Partizan and away to Asteras Tripolis respectively -to movefour points clear at the top of Group C.
Villarreal lost 3-2 at FC Zurich, allowing Borussia Monchengladbach, who won 2-0 away to Apollon Limassol, to replace them at the Group A summit.
Inter were held 1-1 atSaint-Etienne in Group F, andDnipro won 2-1 at Qarabag in the pool's other game.
Elsewhere,Sevilla stayed inpole position in Group Gwith a 3-1 defeat of Standard Liege, Jose Reyes netting the pick of the goals following a breathtaking passing move, and Feyenoord are now second after beating Rijeka 2-0.
news_articleThu, 06 Nov 2014 22:55:50 +0000Anonymous282494 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA sanction Slovan Bratislava and SpartaSlovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague have each been fined following crowd disturbances in their UEFA Europa League clash last week.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-sanction-slovan-bratislava-and-sparta-prague
Sparta ran out 3-0 winners in the Slovak capital on Thursday in a match that was disrupted for a brief period prior to half-time due to crowd trouble at the Stadion Pasienky.
It was the first meeting between the sides since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993 and the game looked in doubt when play was halted 42 minutes in.
While the Group I clash eventuallyresumed, both sides have now been sanctioned by UEFAfor crowd disturbances.
As well as trouble in the stands, the Slovak club were also sanctioned for fanssetting off fireworks and insufficient organisation, with UEFA handing out a fine of €50,000.
Sparta, sanctioned for"setting off/throwing of fireworks and missiles" alongside the crowd disturbanceshave been fined €80,000.
The Czech club have also been ordered to play one UEFA competition match as host behind closed doors, although this is deferred for a probationary period of two years.
news_articleThu, 30 Oct 2014 18:20:52 +0000Anonymous278271 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comUEFA Europa League Wrap: Kane, Lamela run riotTottenham got their UEFA Europa League campaign up and running in style with a 5-1 win over Asteris Tripolis on Thursday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/uefa-europa-league-review-kane-lamela-run-riot-spurs
Following frustrating draws against Partizan and Besiktas, ErikLamela grabbed a brace, including astunning 'rabona' effort, while Kane hit ahat-trick for 10-man Spurs - who had Hugo Lloris dismissed late on.
Kane was required to replace the Frenchmanin goal and, while he fumbled in a free-kick to make it 5-1, the goalfailed to diminish from a positive evening as Mauricio Pochettino's men movedlevel top in Group C withBesiktas, who hammered Partizan 4-0 in Belgrade.
Sparta Prague saw off Slovan Bratislava 3-0 in a Group I fixture that saw disruptions due to crowd trouble in the first meeting between the sides since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
The game was suspended after 42 minutes when fans clashedbut resumed shortly after -second-half goals from David Lafata, Tiemoko Konate and Ladislav Krejci ensuring Sparta's victory.
Elsewhere in Group I, Young Boys ended Napoli's winning start to the competition with a 2-0 success,whileJuan Manuel Vargasmaintained Fiorentina's winning start against PAOK in Group K as Guingamp and Dinamo Minsk drew0-0.
Standard Liege and Lille were held to stalemates at home against Sevilla and Everton respectively,with Feyenoord unable to take advantage of the Spaniards' dropped points in Group G.
The Eredivisie side fell to a 3-1 defeat against Rijeka,while Wolfsburg now sit a point behind Everton in Group H after hammering Krasnodar 4-2 - Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice in Russia.
Trabzonsporbolstered their qualification hopes with a Group L winagainst Lokeren and AaB replaced Dynamo Kiev at the top of Group J courtesy of a 3-0 victory over the Ukrainiansin Aalborg.Steaua Bucharest also sit on six points after beatingRio Ave 2-1
Qarabag beat Dnipro 1-0 to cut the gap to Group Fleaders Inter, who drew 0-0 with Saint-Etienne,while Torino are the new Group B leaders afteredgingHJK 2-0 with Club Brugge only able to draw with Copenhagen.
There were goals galore in Group A as Villarreal hammeredZurich 4-1 andIbrahima Traore scored his first goals for Borussia Monchengladbach - his brace helping the Bundesliga side to a 5-0 win against Apollon.
Celticand Red Bull Salzburg pulled further away at the top of Group D with wins over Astra and Dinamo Zagreb - Alan scoring a hat-trick for the Austrian side - while Dinamo Moscow edged closer to progression from Group E by seeing off Estoril 2-1.
Yohan Tavares' goal for the Portuguese side proved a consolation with 10-man PSV held to a 1-1 draw at home by Panathanaikos.
news_articleThu, 23 Oct 2014 21:44:11 +0000Anonymous273943 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com